Ancelotti: Zlatan defying age and getting better

Ibrahimovic is preparing to face Italy at Euro 2016, after which he is expected to complete a free transfer to Manchester United following the expiry of his contract at PSG.

The forward has won 13 league titles in four different countries but some observers have questioned the wisdom of United recruiting a veteran approaching his 35th birthday.

Ancelotti, however, has no such concerns, having managed him at PSG in 2012-13.

The new Bayern Munich boss wrote in the Telegraph: “The thing about Ibra is this is a guy who always wants to win. I hear people saying that in some games he looks like he isn’t trying.

“Trust me, this guy would chase the last pass in the last minute if a training session in July if he thought he could get the goal that won the eight-a-side.

“It’s just that different players operate in different ways and Ibra knows that he has to conserve himself for the big moments. He can play in very tight spaces and his physique means that he can move defenders around too.

“I know that he is 34 years old but anyone who has ever worked closely with footballers – and knows a thing or two about their fitness and their stamina – can see that Ibra is not your typical 34-year-old. When he says that he is getting better, he means it. He’s certainly better than any 34-year-old footballer I know.”